Fence-post.



PATENTED AUG. 21,1906.

J. P. HAPPEY. FENCE POST. uruouxon mum JUNE 21 6% [/VVENTOR.

A TTOR/VE-YS JAMES F. HAFFEY, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906;

Application filed June 21,1906. Serial No. 822.752.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMns F. HAFFEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tif fin, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Fence-Post, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fenceosts such as are constructed of cement or ot or similar plastic material.

The use of lastic fence-posts involves a number of di' culties in properly securing the fence or line wires upon the posts. It has been proposed heretofore to employ a wooden supportin strip which is securely embedded 1n the 'ence-post This form of fence-post having an embedded supportingstrip is open to two serious objections. The first objection is that when the line-wires are nailed against the su porting-strip the concussion of blows of the hammer frequently results in the cracking of the fence-post. The second objection is that the plastic post frequently absorbs moisture, which causes the wooden sup porting-stri embedded therein to swell, and thus split t is post.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing objections by providing a simple and improved fence-post having means for readily attaching a supportingstrip in a novel manner to one of the flat faces thereof, whereby the line-wires can be first nailed or otherwise suitably secured to the supporting-strip before it is applied to the post, and the supporting-strip can then be fitted against the post and secured readily in position, so as to avoid damagin the post during the operation of nailing the fence wires to the supporting-strip.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that ohan es in the recisc embodiment of invention ierein disdl oscd can be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificlng any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a post constructed of cement or other plastic material and equipped with the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through part of the post. Fig. 8 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the sup orting-strip, showing one of the recesses wit 1 the sockets at the end thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a portion of the supportingstrip. Fi 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the attaching-plates,

Like reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawin s.

The once-post 1 preferably is tapered from its lower to its upper end and is formed with a flat front face 2. Adjacent its lower end the sides 3 of the post are formed with transverse corrugations, as indicated at 4. Fitted against the Hat front face 2 of the post 1 is a wooden sup )orting-strip 5, which is formed in its front face with one or more elongated recesses 6, having narrow transverse sockets 7 at their opposite ends. Fitted into each elon ated recess 6 is an attaching-plate 8, Whifil is preferably in the form of a metallic strip bent at its ends to form approximately U-shaped retaining portions 9, the open ends of which are closed by the bottom of the recess 6. The end members 10 of the U-shaped retaining portions 9 preferably are longer than the inner members 11 and extend into the narrow transverse sockets 7, as shown, when the attaching-plate 8 is in position in the recess 6. The transverse sockets 7 thus serve to prevent the end members 10 of the U-shaped retaining portions 9 from being accidentally bent toward the inner members 11.

Adjacent its central portion each attaching-plate 8 is formed with a non-circular op en ing 12, into which is fitted the non-circular outer end of a belt or other suitable device 13, which extends entirely through the plate 8, supporting-strip 5, and. post 1, the rear end of said bolt being threaded to receive a nut 14. When the attaching-plates 8 are used, the line-wires 15 are fitted into the U-shaped retaining portions 9 and the attachirig-plates are placer in the recesses 6, so that the linewires rest against the front face of the supporting-strip on opposite sides of the recess 6, and are thereby he d in the outer ends of the U-shaped retaining portion, it being obvious that it is impossible for the line-wires to escape from said U-shaped portions so long as the attaching-plates 8 are located in the recesses 6. When the wires have been properly fitted into the Ushaped retaining portions, it is only necessary to fit the bolts 13 through the non-circular openings in the attachingplates and through the supporting-strip and post. The non-circular openings in the mctallic attaching- )lates serve to nevent any rotation of the bolts, for which reason the nuts 13 can be easily applied with an ordinary wrench. The attaching-plates 8, which, as explained, prevent rotation of the bolts 13, are themselves in turn prevented from rotating by means of their engagement with the elongated recesses 6 and the support ngstrip 5. The supporting-strip 5 is of course prevented from rotating upon the ost by reason of the fact that a plurality of bolts 1.3 are employed for securing it in place. It will be obvious, therefore, that the bolts 13, at taching-plates 8, and elongated recesses 6 in the supporting-strip 5 all cooperate together to facilitate the operation of applying the wires to the strip and the strip to the post.

If it be not desired to employ the attaching-plates 8, the line-wires 15 can be suitably nailed or otherwise secured, by means of stafiles 16, to the supporting-strip 5 before it has een applied to the post 1, so as to avoid in.- juring the )ost by the concussions of the hammer. fter the line-wires have been securely nailed in place the supporting-strip is fitted against the post and secured thereon by means of the bolts 13. It will be apparent that by reason of the fact that the bolts 13 extend entirely through the post and project therefrom. at their rear ends, so as to receive the nuts 14, the supporting-strip can be readily removed from the post whenever necessary or desirable. This means of attaching the supporting-strip 5 to the post therefore constitutes an improvement over attaching means which are embedded or concealed within the post and which will not permit the supporting-strip to be readily removed or which will require that the supporting-strip be nailed in position bv the use of a hammer which will tend to crack the post.

The improved post of t is invention is strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive 111 construction, as well as thoroughly practical in use.

As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the attachii'ig-plate 8 whenever desired can be caused to form a bend in the wire 15, indicated at 20, so as to clench it in the ends of the recess 6, and thus prevent longitudinal movcnicnt of the wire, it being understood that the wood by reason of its softness will permit the wire to be slightly embedded therein at the ends of the sockets 7.

hat is claimed is A. fence-post formed of plastic material and having a flat face, a wooden supportingstrip resting against said flat face without projccting into the post and said supportingstrip having elongated recesses in its front face and transverse sockets at the ends of said recesses, attachinglates fitted into said recesses and having U-s raped retaining portions formed with long end members pro ecting into said transverse sockets, said attaching-plates having non-circular openings there in ,line-wires extending through the U-shaped retaining portions of the attaching-platcs and being held in the outer ends thereof by the front face of the supporting-strip, and bolts having non-circular portions to engage the non-circular openings in the attaching plates, said bolts extending entirely through the supporting-strip and fence post and having nuts on their rear ends.

2. A fence-post formed of plastic material, a supporting-strip resting against the front face of said 70st and having recesses therein, attaching-pl ates fitted into said recesses and having wire-retaining portions, and bolts extending through said attaching-plates, supporting-strip and post.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. HAFFEY.

Witnesses FRANK T. Donn, RALPH W. FAGINGER. 

